In Australië is onderzoek gedaan naar de effectiviteit van Q-koortstesten voorafgaand aan vaccinatie. Het Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory en Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology vergeleken verschillende testen met elkaar, waaronder Q-detect™. Deze test, ontwikkeld door het Nederlandse Innatoss, blijkt veruit de beste test voor screening op Q-koorts. De resultaten werden vandaag gepresenteerd tijdens het Europese ECCMID congres in Madrid.
Het vaccineren van werknemers die een hoger risico op Q-koorts lopen is in Australië verplicht. Het vaccin dat hiervoor gebruikt wordt kan echter bijwerkingen geven bij mensen die al eerder zijn blootgesteld aan de Q-koortsbacterie. Deze mensen mogen niet gevaccineerd worden. Om hen uit te sluiten, wordt een screening uitgevoerd. Hiervoor moet een antistoftest gedaan worden, en als die negatief is een huidtest.
In het Australische vaccinatie-onderzoek onder leiding van Q-koortsexpert Dr. Stephen Graves werden verschillende Q-koortstesten vergeleken. De Nederlandse Q-detect test, die tijdens de Nederlandse Q-koortsepidemie werd uitgevonden door het RadboudUMC, werd voor het eerst in een dergelijk onderzoek meegenomen.
Nederlandse Q-detect test blijkt veruit de beste
De resultaten spreken voor zich. Van alle testen in het onderzoek is Q-detect de enige die het predicaat “goede test” krijgt. Het is de enige test in het onderzoek die alle 8 personen die eerder aan de Q-koortsbacterie werden blootgesteld, wist te identificeren.
Buitengewoon verrassend zijn de resultaten van de testen die op dit moment worden gebruikt voor screening.. Zo vindt men met de huidtest slechts 3 van de 8 personen. Zelfs in combinatie met de hoogst aangeschreven antistoftest, de IFA test, werden niet alle personen gevonden.
“Q-detect is niet alleen de meest gevoelige test in ons onderzoek, maar de test is ook de veel minder ingrijpend en makkelijker inzetbaar in Australië dan de huid- en antistoftest die op dit moment gebruikt worden,” aldus Dr. Graves.
Nederlandse overheid aan zet
Op dit moment is alleen in Australië het menselijke Q-koortsvaccin beschikbaar. In Nederland dus nog niet. Barbara Schimmer, onderzoeker bij het RIVM, adviseerde vorige week bij de verdediging van haar proefschrift om vaccinatie serieus te overwegen bij beroepsgroepen met een hoog risico op Q-koorts.
Anja Garritsen, directeur van Innatoss, ziet mogelijkheden voor de Nederland om voorop te lopen: “Er wordt in Europa nog niet gevaccineerd tegen Q-koorts. Het Australische vaccin wordt echter al heel lang succesvol ingezet. Het RIVM heeft ook al laten zien dat de bijwerkingen bij een goede screening vooraf beperkt zijn. Hopelijk gaat de Nederlandse overheid op korte termijn een vaccinatie-proef starten waarbij gescreend wordt met de nieuwe Q-detect test. Zo kan de Q-koortsvaccinatie op een zo eenvoudig en effectief mogelijke manier ingevoerd worden ten behoeve van deze beroepsgroep”.
Q-detect is niet de enige Q-koorts gerelateerde innovatie van Innatoss. Het bedrijf uit Oss werkt ook mee aan de ontwikkeling van een nieuw Q-koortsvaccin, zonder de nare bijwerkingen die het Australische vaccin kan hebben. Dit project wordt gefinancierd door het Amerikaanse ministerie van Defensie.
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Mymetics Corporation, a pioneer and leader in the research and development of virosome-based vaccines, and Anergis SA, a company developing Contiguous Overlapping Peptides (COPs) for ultra-fast allergy immunotherapy, announced that Mymetics SA, the Swiss subsidiary of Mymetics Corporation and Anergis SA have entered into a Research Collaboration project.
The pre-clinical study program will evaluate the immunogenicity profile of the Anergis peptides designed to treat birch allergy (the Bet v1 COPs) when presented on Mymetics’ proprietary virosomes, with or without undisclosed TLR ligands or other adjuvants, and will compare the results to Anergis’ AllerT product combination (Bet v1 COPs with aluminum hydroxide).
The research collaboration will start now and the results are expected by Q1 2019. If this project is successful, Anergis will have the option to enter into an exclusive license agreement for the use of virosomes in allergy.
“We are very excited to start this initial research project with Anergis, a leading company in ultra-fast allergy immunotherapy” said Ronald Kempers, CEO of Mymetics. “We look forward to show that our proprietary virosome technology and vaccine expertise can make a valuable difference in improving the effectiveness of treating allergies.”
“On the basis of the extensive clinical experience available with virosomes and with Anergis COPs against birch allergy, we are convinced that their combination represents a highly attractive opportunity to develop safe and efficacious ultra-fast COP allergy vaccines” commented Vincent Charlon, CEO of Anergis.
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MDxHealth SA, a world leader in molecular diagnostics for urological cancers, announced the inclusion of SelectMDx for Prostate Cancer, its non-invasive ‘liquid biopsy’ test that helps to identify patients at increased risk of having aggressive prostate cancer, in the Dutch Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) reimbursement system.
The DRG reimbursement system was introduced in the Netherlands in 2005. It specifies the reimbursable amounts for 30,000 different treatments and is regulated by the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZA). Diagnosing and treatment of prostate cancer are also reimbursed under the DRG-system. The SelectMDx test may be used under the DRG-system. Reimbursement amounts are directly negotiated between the healthcare insurers and the healthcare providers. Several Dutch hospitals have already incorporated the SelectMDx test in their prostate cancer diagnostic workflow.
Dr. Jan Groen, Chief Executive Officer of MDxHealth, commented: “This is a positive development for MDxHealth and serves as an important step in our strategy to increase the adoption and acceptance of our SelectMDx CE marked test in Europe among urologists and payors. We believe that in light of the ageing male population in the US and Europe, the use of SelectMDx in active monitoring and primary care settings could quadruple the market opportunity for SelectMDx in the mid-term to more than 4 million patients annually in the US and Europe. With the EAU guidelines inclusion for SelectMDx announced last month, we look forward to providing further updates on our progress in European markets.”
Biogen and Ionis Pharmaceuticals announced that they have expanded their strategic collaboration through a new ten-year collaboration agreement to develop novel antisense drug candidates for a broad range of neurological diseases. This collaboration capitalizes on Biogen’s expertise in neuroscience research and drug development and Ionis’ leadership in RNA targeted therapies with the goal of developing a broad pipeline of investigational therapies. It builds upon a productive collaboration that produced SPINRAZA, the first and only approved treatment for patients with spinal muscular atrophy.
Under the terms of the collaboration, Biogen will pay Ionis $1 billion in cash, which will include $625 million to purchase 11,501,153 shares of Ionis common stock at a price of $54.34 per share, at an approximately 25% cash premium, and a $375 million upfront payment. Biogen will have the option to license therapies arising out of this collaboration and will be responsible for their development and commercialization. In addition, Biogen may pay milestone payments, license fees and royalties on net sales.
The companies plan to advance programs for a broad range of neurological diseases for which few treatment options exist today. Disease areas include dementia, neuromuscular diseases, movement disorders, ophthalmology, diseases of the inner ear, and neuropsychiatry. Biogen will have the first choice of neurology targets on which to exclusively collaborate with Ionis. In this collaboration, Ionis will be responsible for the identification of antisense drug candidates based on selected targets, while Biogen will be responsible for and pay for non-clinical studies, clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialization.
“Biogen and Ionis share a commitment and passion to bring new therapeutic options to those living with neurological diseases where the unmet medical need is high and growing,” said Michel Vounatsos, chief executive officer of Biogen. “We believe that this new collaboration will allow us to meaningfully expand our neuroscience pipeline in a way that differentiates Biogen. With the large number of diseases that could benefit from Ionis’ antisense platform, we believe that the time is now to build upon our highly productive collaboration with Ionis as we aim to transform the treatment of neurological diseases around the world.”
“There is no better partner for Ionis to develop new antisense drugs to treat neurological diseases than Biogen. Their demonstrated perseverance, dedication, and commitment to innovation in developing drugs for these challenging diseases is unmatched,” said Stanley T. Crooke, M.D., chief executive officer and chairman of Ionis. “These attributes and Biogen’s investment in neurological diseases have been important to the successes we’ve achieved already in the collaboration. Working with Biogen, we have achieved what neither company could have achieved alone. Together, we believe we can create a robust neurological disease franchise fueled by Ionis’ antisense technology and highlighted by the tremendous success of SPINRAZA. This new collaboration provides the potential opportunity to build an even stronger pipeline for Biogen and Ionis, with the expectation of bringing further benefit to patients in desperate need and value to Ionis’ shareholders. This new collaboration’s financial terms, upfront payment, milestone payments, and royalties are substantially higher compared to our previous collaborations with Biogen, which demonstrates the value we have created in applying Ionis’ antisense technology platform to neurological disease. We believe Biogen’s equity investment reflects its commitment to Ionis, to antisense technology, and to the success of this collaboration.”
“The transformational success of SPINRAZA has given us increased confidence that antisense therapeutics have the potential to address many diseases of the central nervous system that were previously untreatable,” said Michael Ehlers, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president, Research and Development at Biogen. “Due to the ability of antisense oligonucleotides to directly intervene at the genetic origin of disease, we believe this approach could have a higher probability of success than traditional modalities, with a potentially more efficient development path to more rapidly help patients who suffer from diseases with limited or no treatment options. Our experience with antisense therapeutics makes us believe that they will be the preferred drug modality for numerous genetic diseases and targets of the nervous system.”
“Our collaboration with Biogen has provided significant value for both companies. We have and continue to learn more about neurological diseases and successful strategies for developing drugs for these diseases. Biogen has worked with us to validate biomarkers and develop new clinical trial endpoints. Ionis has helped Biogen understand our antisense platform and the large potential of this powerful drug modality in neurological diseases,” said Dr. C. Frank Bennett, senior vice president of Research and Franchise Leader for the Neurological Programs at Ionis. “Looking ahead, we are focused on continuing to advance Ionis’ antisense technology and on creating an exciting stream of drugs for neurological diseases – both for Biogen and for our wholly-owned neurological disease portfolio.”
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the expiration of the applicable waiting period under the Hart Scott Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 in the United States.
Biogen and Ionis expect the deal to close in the second quarter of 2018. Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated acted as exclusive financial advisor to Biogen in this transaction.
InteRNA Technologies presented proof-of concept data on lead microRNA candidate INT-1B3 highlighting its distinct mode of action that combines antitumor activity, modulation of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and long-term immunity against cancer. INT-1B3 is a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulated, chemically modified microRNA 193a-3p mimic that can be delivered systemically to cancer cells. MicroRNAs are naturally occurring small RNA interfering molecules which represent a part of the body’s arsenal to regulate gene expression, each targeting a specific set of genes. MicroRNA 193a-3p is a known tumor suppressor microRNA that is downregulated in many cancers and the reintroduction of the synthetic mimic aims to restore its function and generate biological responses relevant to key hallmarks of cancer. The results were presented in a poster at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, held in Chicago, IL, from April 14-18, 2018.
“Overall these data strongly support the unique potential of microRNAs, and INT-1B3 in specific, as a novel therapeutic modality in cancer that acts as a ‘combination treatment in one drug’. It is an important milestone for InteRNA because it validates our microRNA platform and demonstrates the focus and commitment of the team over the last years,” said Dr. Roel Schaapveld, CEO of InteRNA. “Our lead candidate stands out through a unique mode of action and an advanced delivery technology to achieve effective tumor tissue delivery. We are preparing to move this exciting program towards clinical assessment.”
The study investigated multiple biological effects as well as the underlying mechanism of action of INT-1B3 in both tumor cell-based assays and experimental tumor models. The data show that INT-1B3 specifically targets pivotal oncogenes including MCL1, CCND1 and KRAS to induce cell death and apoptosis. In addition, it targets ENTPD1 (CD39) and NT5E (CD73), two crucial enzymes in the ATP to adenosine degradation pathway which has been linked to evasion of tumor immune surveillance. Importantly, INT-1B3 showed a good safety and tolerability profile in all animal studies with no treatment-related adverse events.
The most striking results were observed in a syngeneic mouse model of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC 4T1) in which INT-1B3-treated animals survived significantly longer than control or anti-PD-1 treated mice. The INT-1B3-treated mice showed a significant modulation of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, illustrated by an increase in T cell function and a subsequent increase in cytotoxic T-cell frequency. In addition, the number of immunosuppressive regulatory T cells decreased, indicating a transition from an immunosuppressive to an immune stimulatory tumor microenvironment. To investigate the long-term immunity potential, the surviving INT-1B3-treated mice were challenged with the same tumor cells (4T1) and followed up for 28 days in the absence of any further treatment. Although three of the eight mice showed an initial tumor take and growth, a rapid and complete tumor regression with 100% of the animals being tumor-free was achieved by the completion of the study, suggesting a long-term immunization against the 4T1 cancer cells. The same mice were then re-challenged with mouse liver cancer cells (H22) to investigate the long-term immunity potential against an unrelated cancer cell type. Despite an initial and efficient (100%) tumor take in all mice, complete tumor regression was seen within the 28-day follow-up period providing an indication that INT-1B3 can induce a long-term broad cancer immunity. Furthermore, INT-1B3 demonstrated pronounced tumor growth inhibition in human xenograft melanoma and liver cancer models.
The poster, titled “Pharmacologic profile of INT-1B3: a novel synthetic microRNA 193a-3p mimic for therapeutic intervention in oncology” was presented by InteRNA’s Senior Research Scientist, Dr. Sanaz Yahyanejad and Chief Development Officer, Dr. Michel Janicot and is available on InteRNA’s website through the following link: https://interna-technologies.com/technology/scientific-publications/.
HollandBIO connects and supports the Dutch biotech industry. We currently represent 169 companies in the field of medical, agrifood and industrial biotech. And, HollandBIO is growing steadily. Today, we are proud to announce that Aon Risk Solutions (Aon) joined our community.
Life Sciences companies face numerous and unique challenges as their life cycles evolve. How these risks are mitigated and identified can be the fundamental difference between financial success and business failure. Aon provides Life Sciences companies with end-to-end risk solutions, supporting organisations from the initial discovery phase to final product launch.
Aon addresses your risk management and insurances needs. Aon provides:
Strong life sciences industry and product expertise providing tailored risk management advice.
Dedicated claims advocacy and management for complex product liability litigation and securities class actions.
Specialized life sciences service team that proactively assesses your risk profile in a high growth environment.
Significant market relationships and industry presence to secure the broadest, most cost effective risk management program.
AGCN – the largest global client network to efficiently and effectively secure admitted policies for multi-country, multi-site clinical trials and additional global insurance needs.
Comprehensive coverage for D&O, IPO, liability and clinical trials insurances.
Join Aon become a proud HollandBIO member, too! Click here for more information about the HollandBIO membership.
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Wacker Chemie AG has acquired a Dutch site for manufacturing biopharmaceuticals, live microbial products and vaccines, plus the associated business, from SynCo Bio Luxembourg S.à.r.l.. The Munich-based chemical company announced the acquisition today. For WACKER, maintaining SynCo’s existing customer relationships is a top priority. Moreover, WACKER is keeping on SynCo’s employees. Both parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
“This strategic acquisition is a key step for our ongoing expansion in the high-growth biopharmaceuticals market,” explained Auguste Willems of WACKER’s Executive Board. “The new plant will enable us to satisfy robust market demand today and in the coming years – and to strengthen our position as a leading contract manufacturer of microbial-derived biopharmaceutical proteins.”
Founded in 2000, SynCo Bio Partners has some 110 employees and operates two fermentation lines with current capacities of 1,500 and 270 liters. These lines manufacture microbial-derived biopharmaceuticals, not only for clinical testing, but also for the commercial market. There is a further line of single-use fermenters, which provides additional and flexible production capabilities. SynCo’s service offering is rounded out with a “fill and finish” facility, which enables the complete manufacture of pharmaceuticals from the active agent to the filled product. The facilities meet “Good Manufacturing Practice” (GMP) quality standards, and they have already been inspected by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and approved for the manufacture of specific pharmaceutical proteins.
“Expanding our production capacity strengthens our market position sustainably,” said Gerhard Schmid, president of WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS. “The additional fermentation lines double our current capacity, which increases our ability to produce key pharmaceuticals cost effectively, using advanced microbial techniques. We look forward to continuing the comprehensive support for SynCo’s existing customers, while also offering them the proprietary technologies of Wacker Biotech. The acquisition will significantly expand our portfolio of technologies and services.”
SynCo’s expertise in manufacturing live microbial biopharmaceuticals is a valuable complement to WACKER’s know-how as a full-service supplier. Live microbial products represent a promising new class of actives, offering innovative therapies for serious illnesses and new vaccines against cholera, for example.
Wie wil er in de toekomst kweekvlees eten? En wie genetisch gemodificeerde aardappelen? Het publiek van de afgelopen KennisLink avond stemde unaniem JA.
Nemo KennisLink Live organiseerde vorige week dinsdag een zeer succesvolle discussieavond met als thema: Controle over ons voedsel. Centraal stond de vraag hoe ‘natuurlijk’ ons voedsel momenteel eigenlijk nog is en hoe ‘natuurlijk’ we het in de toekomst willen hebben. Na de informatieve én interactieve sessie met Floris van den Berg, Bert Lotz en Ira van Eelen, was iedereen het eens: het in vitro kweken van vlees en genetische modificatie zijn goede ontwikkelingen. Mits de toepassing goed en duidelijk is. Mooie bijval voor HollandBIO’s programma technologie voor een betere toekomst!
Alles voor duurzaamheid
Floris van den Berg is milieufilosoof aan de Universiteit Utrecht. Hij pleitte deze avond voor een veganistische levensstijl, omdat in zijn opinie de huidige vee industrie voor dierenleed en milieu schade zorgt. Ook riep hij op tot een ‘permacultuur’, een manier van leven waarbij werk, landbouw en energieopwekking dicht bij huis plaatsvinden. Nieuwe technologieën die bijdragen aan een duurzamer milieu verwelkomt Floris van harte: “Liever gentech-eten dan dierlijk eten.”
Super aardappelen
Bert Lotz van de Universiteit Wageningen ontwikkelt aardappelen die resistent zijn tegen de gevreesde aardappelschimmel Phytophthora infestans. Hij gebruikt daarbij moderne veredelingsmethoden om het veredelingsproces te versnellen. Zo is het mogelijk om met cisgenese genen die voor resistentie zorgen direct over te zetten in de huidige gangbare aardappelrassen. Met een methode als CRISPR kan het echter nog sneller. Met CRISPR zijn de resistentiegenen, die vaak wel aanwezig zijn maar ‘uit’ staan, weer aan te zetten. Helaas is er in Europa veel onduidelijkheid over de regulering van deze belangrijke veredelingstechnieken. En dat is zonde, voor consument én milieu. Om Phytophthora infestans te voorkomen zijn flinke hoeveelheden bestrijdingsmiddelen nodig. En de schimmel is nog uiterst besmettelijk ook. Biologische boeren moeten hun akkers onmiddellijk afbranden zodra de schimmel er wordt aangetroffen. Niet bepaald duurzaam! De resistente aardappelen van Bert bieden dus een welkom alternatief.
Just (m)eat
Ira van Eelen vertelde deze avond dat het nu mogelijk is om vlees te kweken met een biopt ter grootte van een sesamzaadje. Ze droomt van een toekomst met restaurants waar je vlees kunt eten van het dier dat in de tuin vrolijk graast en van glazen fabrieken in de stad waar je kunt zien hoe je vlees groeit. Ira pleit ervoor dat de consument moet kunnen kiezen of ze vegetarisch, vlees van de slagerij, of kweekvlees willen eten.
Technologie voor een betere toekomst
HollandBIO voelt zich als een vis in het water bij deze positieve kijk op de toepassing van biotechnologie. Elke dag zetten wij ons in om technologische ontwikkelingen de ruimte te geven, zodat ze maximaal bij kunnen dragen aan een duurzame en gezonde toekomst. En dat gaat niet zomaar: wet- en regelgeving heeft moeite technologische ontwikkelingen bij te benen. De Nederlandse overheid werkt op dit moment aan de modernisering van het biotech beleid. Een uitgelezen moment om een integrale visie op duurzaamheid en gezondheid in te bedden in het biotech beleid. Naast die visie pleit HollandBIO voor balans tussen risico’s en kansen door implementatie van het innovatieprincipe en een best-of-class uitvoering.
https://www.hollandbio.nl/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/header-3.jpg3501028Hollandbiohttps://www.hollandbio.nl/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/HollandBIO_logo.svgHollandbio2018-04-17 13:55:012018-04-30 15:48:23Genetisch gemodificeerd voedsel en kweekvlees? Ja graag!← #nieuws
Scientists have engineered an enzyme which can digest some of our most commonly polluting plastics, providing a potential solution to one of the world’s biggest environmental problems.
The discovery could result in a recycling solution for millions of tonnes of plastic bottles, made of polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, which currently persists for hundreds of years in the environment.
The research was led by teams at the University of Portsmouth and the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Professor John McGeehan at the University of Portsmouth and Dr Gregg Beckham at NREL solved the crystal structure of PETase—a recently discovered enzyme that digests PET— and used this 3D information to understand how it works. During this study, they inadvertently engineered an enzyme that is even better at degrading the plastic than the one that evolved in nature.
The researchers are now working on improving the enzyme further to allow it to be used industrially to break down plastics in a fraction of the time.
Professor McGeehan, Director of the Institute of Biological and Biomedical Sciences in the School of Biological Sciences at Portsmouth, said: “Few could have predicted that since plastics became popular in the 1960s huge plastic waste patches would be found floating in oceans, or washed up on once pristine beaches all over the world.
“We can all play a significant part in dealing with the plastic problem, but the scientific community who ultimately created these ‘wonder-materials’, must now use all the technology at their disposal to develop real solutions.”
The researchers made the breakthrough when they were examining the structure of a natural enzyme which is thought to have evolved in a waste recycling centre in Japan, allowing a bacterium to degrade plastic as a food source.
PET, patented as a plastic in the 1940s, has not existed in nature for very long, so the team set out to determine how the enzyme evolved and if it might be possible to improve it.
The goal was to determine its structure, but they ended up going a step further and accidentally engineered an enzyme which was even better at breaking down PET plastics.
“Serendipity often plays a significant role in fundamental scientific research and our discovery here is no exception,” Professor McGeehan said.
“Although the improvement is modest, this unanticipated discovery suggests that there is room to further improve these enzymes, moving us closer to a recycling solution for the ever-growing mountain of discarded plastics.”
In the last few decades, with the introduction of GMOs, the agricultural industry was turned upside down. Major consolidations between companies took place, while sustainability and big data have become ever more important. BioVox had a conversation on the most important trends within the agri-biotech sector with Johan Cardoen, Managing Director of VIB, and with Arjen Van Tunen, CEO of the leading Dutch agri-biotech company Keygene.
Keeping up with the US and China
Arjen Van Tunen: “In the last years, major consolidations took place such as the potential acquisition of Monsanto by Bayer, the acquisition of Syngenta by Chinachem and the merger of Dow and Dupont. These developments have large geopolitical consequences in EU, USA and particularly also China.“
Johan Cardoen: “The far-reaching consolidations had a huge impact on the agri-biotech sector, but will create new opportunities. The few companies that are left are continuously looking for innovation that will allow them to differentiate from their competitors. This will give a push to startup biotech companies, but also to companies such as Keygene and research centers such as VIB. I haven’t experienced that companies are less willing to invest in agricultural innovations”
Arjen Van Tunen: “We do have to try to foster innovations that were developed in our countries here within local companies. We need to make the investing climate in Europe as attractive as that of the US. That’s important if we want to be able to compete with huge regions such as the US and China. Europe has great scientific facilities, but we should leverage these. We have to cherish talent. Not only scientific talent, but also entrepreneurial talent by supporting it with sufficient financial investments. That’s how Europe can continue to make a difference.”
Genome editing techniques remain top of the bill
Arjen Van Tunen: “As genome editing techniques are becoming cheaper and easier to use, they are now not only applied to major crops such as maize and soy, but also become available to genetically improve wheat, potato, cassava and other smaller crops. It will be a huge challenge to feed the ever increasing global population within the next 20 years, on top of producing other raw materials we need from agriculture, while facing climate change. To fulfill this need, we have to leverage the potential of genome editing techniques. However, the regulations in Europe concerning genome edited plants and GMOs might become or are already a pitfall.”
Johan Cardoen: “It seems that the introduction of GMOs in Europe is a lost fight. However, we see some positive evolutions concerning the evaluation of genome edited plants, resulting in crops with mutations that can be exempted from the GMO regulation. So there is hope. Europe has to learn from the past and use its common sense to make the right decisions. If Europe misses the boat on this one, the impact for agriculture could be devastating.”
Big data is indispensible
Johan Cardoen: “Next to genome editing techniques, the use of big data and the Internet Of Things are very important trends that are introduced into agriculture. The way a farmer uses data to increase their yield and adjust to climatological conditions will only intensify in the future.”
Arjen Van Tunen: “For example, in the supermarkets of Albert Heijn, every day before 11am, the stores know exactly the amount of vegetables and fruit that have been consumed. This data is sent to the suppliers, who can adapt the supply of fruits and vegetables they bring to the stores. You can analyze all this data, and forecast how much fruit and vegetable produce will be needed on a certain day. Growers can control the produced amounts by adapting the temperature or the amount of light in the greenhouse.”
Johan Cardoen: “Big data coupled to the Internet Of Things will allow for profound optimization of precision agriculture, fine-tuned to the consumer’s needs.”
Johan Cardoen: “Another import trend within agriculture is the increasing focus on sustainability. Chemical crop protection agents are become less popular, as supermarkets and consumers are paying much more attention to the minimum residue levels on crops. Therefore a new range of less aggressive crop protection agents is being developed, for example affecting the microbiome of a crop. Consumers also tend to buy more seasonal and locally grown vegetables and fruits. This also influences the market.”
Arjen Van Tunen: “The integrated results obtained by processing big data and consumer behavior cannot only be used by farmers, but also by academia and companies to make new innovative crops, tailored to the needs of consumers. So it is also the consumer and perhaps even the patient who can benefit from better and healthier crops.”
https://www.hollandbio.nl/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/HollandBIO_logo.svg00hollandbiohttps://www.hollandbio.nl/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/HollandBIO_logo.svghollandbio2018-04-16 11:39:042023-09-27 16:39:23Big Data, Big Produce
Nederlandse Q-koorts test scoort als beste in Australisch onderzoek
GezondheidIn Australië is onderzoek gedaan naar de effectiviteit van Q-koortstesten voorafgaand aan vaccinatie. Het Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory en Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology vergeleken verschillende testen met elkaar, waaronder Q-detect™. Deze test, ontwikkeld door het Nederlandse Innatoss, blijkt veruit de beste test voor screening op Q-koorts. De resultaten werden vandaag gepresenteerd tijdens het Europese ECCMID congres in Madrid.
Het vaccineren van werknemers die een hoger risico op Q-koorts lopen is in Australië verplicht. Het vaccin dat hiervoor gebruikt wordt kan echter bijwerkingen geven bij mensen die al eerder zijn blootgesteld aan de Q-koortsbacterie. Deze mensen mogen niet gevaccineerd worden. Om hen uit te sluiten, wordt een screening uitgevoerd. Hiervoor moet een antistoftest gedaan worden, en als die negatief is een huidtest.
In het Australische vaccinatie-onderzoek onder leiding van Q-koortsexpert Dr. Stephen Graves werden verschillende Q-koortstesten vergeleken. De Nederlandse Q-detect test, die tijdens de Nederlandse Q-koortsepidemie werd uitgevonden door het RadboudUMC, werd voor het eerst in een dergelijk onderzoek meegenomen.
Nederlandse Q-detect test blijkt veruit de beste
De resultaten spreken voor zich. Van alle testen in het onderzoek is Q-detect de enige die het predicaat “goede test” krijgt. Het is de enige test in het onderzoek die alle 8 personen die eerder aan de Q-koortsbacterie werden blootgesteld, wist te identificeren.
Buitengewoon verrassend zijn de resultaten van de testen die op dit moment worden gebruikt voor screening.. Zo vindt men met de huidtest slechts 3 van de 8 personen. Zelfs in combinatie met de hoogst aangeschreven antistoftest, de IFA test, werden niet alle personen gevonden.
“Q-detect is niet alleen de meest gevoelige test in ons onderzoek, maar de test is ook de veel minder ingrijpend en makkelijker inzetbaar in Australië dan de huid- en antistoftest die op dit moment gebruikt worden,” aldus Dr. Graves.
Nederlandse overheid aan zet
Op dit moment is alleen in Australië het menselijke Q-koortsvaccin beschikbaar. In Nederland dus nog niet. Barbara Schimmer, onderzoeker bij het RIVM, adviseerde vorige week bij de verdediging van haar proefschrift om vaccinatie serieus te overwegen bij beroepsgroepen met een hoog risico op Q-koorts.
Anja Garritsen, directeur van Innatoss, ziet mogelijkheden voor de Nederland om voorop te lopen: “Er wordt in Europa nog niet gevaccineerd tegen Q-koorts. Het Australische vaccin wordt echter al heel lang succesvol ingezet. Het RIVM heeft ook al laten zien dat de bijwerkingen bij een goede screening vooraf beperkt zijn. Hopelijk gaat de Nederlandse overheid op korte termijn een vaccinatie-proef starten waarbij gescreend wordt met de nieuwe Q-detect test. Zo kan de Q-koortsvaccinatie op een zo eenvoudig en effectief mogelijke manier ingevoerd worden ten behoeve van deze beroepsgroep”.
Q-detect is niet de enige Q-koorts gerelateerde innovatie van Innatoss. Het bedrijf uit Oss werkt ook mee aan de ontwikkeling van een nieuw Q-koortsvaccin, zonder de nare bijwerkingen die het Australische vaccin kan hebben. Dit project wordt gefinancierd door het Amerikaanse ministerie van Defensie.
De originele presentatie als wetenschappelijke poster op ECCMID 2018 is hier te vinden
Bron: q-koorts.nl
Anergis and Mymetics Start Research Collaboration Project
GezondheidMymetics Corporation, a pioneer and leader in the research and development of virosome-based vaccines, and Anergis SA, a company developing Contiguous Overlapping Peptides (COPs) for ultra-fast allergy immunotherapy, announced that Mymetics SA, the Swiss subsidiary of Mymetics Corporation and Anergis SA have entered into a Research Collaboration project.
The pre-clinical study program will evaluate the immunogenicity profile of the Anergis peptides designed to treat birch allergy (the Bet v1 COPs) when presented on Mymetics’ proprietary virosomes, with or without undisclosed TLR ligands or other adjuvants, and will compare the results to Anergis’ AllerT product combination (Bet v1 COPs with aluminum hydroxide).
The research collaboration will start now and the results are expected by Q1 2019. If this project is successful, Anergis will have the option to enter into an exclusive license agreement for the use of virosomes in allergy.
“We are very excited to start this initial research project with Anergis, a leading company in ultra-fast allergy immunotherapy” said Ronald Kempers, CEO of Mymetics. “We look forward to show that our proprietary virosome technology and vaccine expertise can make a valuable difference in improving the effectiveness of treating allergies.”
“On the basis of the extensive clinical experience available with virosomes and with Anergis COPs against birch allergy, we are convinced that their combination represents a highly attractive opportunity to develop safe and efficacious ultra-fast COP allergy vaccines” commented Vincent Charlon, CEO of Anergis.
Bron: Mymetics
MDxHealth: SelectMDx Included in Dutch DRG Reimbursement System
GezondheidMDxHealth SA, a world leader in molecular diagnostics for urological cancers, announced the inclusion of SelectMDx for Prostate Cancer, its non-invasive ‘liquid biopsy’ test that helps to identify patients at increased risk of having aggressive prostate cancer, in the Dutch Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) reimbursement system.
The DRG reimbursement system was introduced in the Netherlands in 2005. It specifies the reimbursable amounts for 30,000 different treatments and is regulated by the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZA). Diagnosing and treatment of prostate cancer are also reimbursed under the DRG-system. The SelectMDx test may be used under the DRG-system. Reimbursement amounts are directly negotiated between the healthcare insurers and the healthcare providers. Several Dutch hospitals have already incorporated the SelectMDx test in their prostate cancer diagnostic workflow.
Dr. Jan Groen, Chief Executive Officer of MDxHealth, commented: “This is a positive development for MDxHealth and serves as an important step in our strategy to increase the adoption and acceptance of our SelectMDx CE marked test in Europe among urologists and payors. We believe that in light of the ageing male population in the US and Europe, the use of SelectMDx in active monitoring and primary care settings could quadruple the market opportunity for SelectMDx in the mid-term to more than 4 million patients annually in the US and Europe. With the EAU guidelines inclusion for SelectMDx announced last month, we look forward to providing further updates on our progress in European markets.”
Bron: MDxHealth
Biogen and Ionis Expand Strategic Collaboration
InnovatieklimaatBiogen and Ionis Pharmaceuticals announced that they have expanded their strategic collaboration through a new ten-year collaboration agreement to develop novel antisense drug candidates for a broad range of neurological diseases. This collaboration capitalizes on Biogen’s expertise in neuroscience research and drug development and Ionis’ leadership in RNA targeted therapies with the goal of developing a broad pipeline of investigational therapies. It builds upon a productive collaboration that produced SPINRAZA, the first and only approved treatment for patients with spinal muscular atrophy.
Under the terms of the collaboration, Biogen will pay Ionis $1 billion in cash, which will include $625 million to purchase 11,501,153 shares of Ionis common stock at a price of $54.34 per share, at an approximately 25% cash premium, and a $375 million upfront payment. Biogen will have the option to license therapies arising out of this collaboration and will be responsible for their development and commercialization. In addition, Biogen may pay milestone payments, license fees and royalties on net sales.
The companies plan to advance programs for a broad range of neurological diseases for which few treatment options exist today. Disease areas include dementia, neuromuscular diseases, movement disorders, ophthalmology, diseases of the inner ear, and neuropsychiatry. Biogen will have the first choice of neurology targets on which to exclusively collaborate with Ionis. In this collaboration, Ionis will be responsible for the identification of antisense drug candidates based on selected targets, while Biogen will be responsible for and pay for non-clinical studies, clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialization.
“Biogen and Ionis share a commitment and passion to bring new therapeutic options to those living with neurological diseases where the unmet medical need is high and growing,” said Michel Vounatsos, chief executive officer of Biogen. “We believe that this new collaboration will allow us to meaningfully expand our neuroscience pipeline in a way that differentiates Biogen. With the large number of diseases that could benefit from Ionis’ antisense platform, we believe that the time is now to build upon our highly productive collaboration with Ionis as we aim to transform the treatment of neurological diseases around the world.”
“There is no better partner for Ionis to develop new antisense drugs to treat neurological diseases than Biogen. Their demonstrated perseverance, dedication, and commitment to innovation in developing drugs for these challenging diseases is unmatched,” said Stanley T. Crooke, M.D., chief executive officer and chairman of Ionis. “These attributes and Biogen’s investment in neurological diseases have been important to the successes we’ve achieved already in the collaboration. Working with Biogen, we have achieved what neither company could have achieved alone. Together, we believe we can create a robust neurological disease franchise fueled by Ionis’ antisense technology and highlighted by the tremendous success of SPINRAZA. This new collaboration provides the potential opportunity to build an even stronger pipeline for Biogen and Ionis, with the expectation of bringing further benefit to patients in desperate need and value to Ionis’ shareholders. This new collaboration’s financial terms, upfront payment, milestone payments, and royalties are substantially higher compared to our previous collaborations with Biogen, which demonstrates the value we have created in applying Ionis’ antisense technology platform to neurological disease. We believe Biogen’s equity investment reflects its commitment to Ionis, to antisense technology, and to the success of this collaboration.”
“The transformational success of SPINRAZA has given us increased confidence that antisense therapeutics have the potential to address many diseases of the central nervous system that were previously untreatable,” said Michael Ehlers, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president, Research and Development at Biogen. “Due to the ability of antisense oligonucleotides to directly intervene at the genetic origin of disease, we believe this approach could have a higher probability of success than traditional modalities, with a potentially more efficient development path to more rapidly help patients who suffer from diseases with limited or no treatment options. Our experience with antisense therapeutics makes us believe that they will be the preferred drug modality for numerous genetic diseases and targets of the nervous system.”
“Our collaboration with Biogen has provided significant value for both companies. We have and continue to learn more about neurological diseases and successful strategies for developing drugs for these diseases. Biogen has worked with us to validate biomarkers and develop new clinical trial endpoints. Ionis has helped Biogen understand our antisense platform and the large potential of this powerful drug modality in neurological diseases,” said Dr. C. Frank Bennett, senior vice president of Research and Franchise Leader for the Neurological Programs at Ionis. “Looking ahead, we are focused on continuing to advance Ionis’ antisense technology and on creating an exciting stream of drugs for neurological diseases – both for Biogen and for our wholly-owned neurological disease portfolio.”
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the expiration of the applicable waiting period under the Hart Scott Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 in the United States.
Biogen and Ionis expect the deal to close in the second quarter of 2018. Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated acted as exclusive financial advisor to Biogen in this transaction.
Bron: Biogen
InteRNA Demonstrates Preclinical Proof-of-Concept
GezondheidInteRNA Technologies presented proof-of concept data on lead microRNA candidate INT-1B3 highlighting its distinct mode of action that combines antitumor activity, modulation of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and long-term immunity against cancer. INT-1B3 is a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulated, chemically modified microRNA 193a-3p mimic that can be delivered systemically to cancer cells. MicroRNAs are naturally occurring small RNA interfering molecules which represent a part of the body’s arsenal to regulate gene expression, each targeting a specific set of genes. MicroRNA 193a-3p is a known tumor suppressor microRNA that is downregulated in many cancers and the reintroduction of the synthetic mimic aims to restore its function and generate biological responses relevant to key hallmarks of cancer. The results were presented in a poster at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, held in Chicago, IL, from April 14-18, 2018.
“Overall these data strongly support the unique potential of microRNAs, and INT-1B3 in specific, as a novel therapeutic modality in cancer that acts as a ‘combination treatment in one drug’. It is an important milestone for InteRNA because it validates our microRNA platform and demonstrates the focus and commitment of the team over the last years,” said Dr. Roel Schaapveld, CEO of InteRNA. “Our lead candidate stands out through a unique mode of action and an advanced delivery technology to achieve effective tumor tissue delivery. We are preparing to move this exciting program towards clinical assessment.”
The study investigated multiple biological effects as well as the underlying mechanism of action of INT-1B3 in both tumor cell-based assays and experimental tumor models. The data show that INT-1B3 specifically targets pivotal oncogenes including MCL1, CCND1 and KRAS to induce cell death and apoptosis. In addition, it targets ENTPD1 (CD39) and NT5E (CD73), two crucial enzymes in the ATP to adenosine degradation pathway which has been linked to evasion of tumor immune surveillance. Importantly, INT-1B3 showed a good safety and tolerability profile in all animal studies with no treatment-related adverse events.
The most striking results were observed in a syngeneic mouse model of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC 4T1) in which INT-1B3-treated animals survived significantly longer than control or anti-PD-1 treated mice. The INT-1B3-treated mice showed a significant modulation of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, illustrated by an increase in T cell function and a subsequent increase in cytotoxic T-cell frequency. In addition, the number of immunosuppressive regulatory T cells decreased, indicating a transition from an immunosuppressive to an immune stimulatory tumor microenvironment. To investigate the long-term immunity potential, the surviving INT-1B3-treated mice were challenged with the same tumor cells (4T1) and followed up for 28 days in the absence of any further treatment. Although three of the eight mice showed an initial tumor take and growth, a rapid and complete tumor regression with 100% of the animals being tumor-free was achieved by the completion of the study, suggesting a long-term immunization against the 4T1 cancer cells. The same mice were then re-challenged with mouse liver cancer cells (H22) to investigate the long-term immunity potential against an unrelated cancer cell type. Despite an initial and efficient (100%) tumor take in all mice, complete tumor regression was seen within the 28-day follow-up period providing an indication that INT-1B3 can induce a long-term broad cancer immunity. Furthermore, INT-1B3 demonstrated pronounced tumor growth inhibition in human xenograft melanoma and liver cancer models.
The poster, titled “Pharmacologic profile of INT-1B3: a novel synthetic microRNA 193a-3p mimic for therapeutic intervention in oncology” was presented by InteRNA’s Senior Research Scientist, Dr. Sanaz Yahyanejad and Chief Development Officer, Dr. Michel Janicot and is available on InteRNA’s website through the following link: https://interna-technologies.com/technology/scientific-publications/.
Bron: InteRNA technologies
HollandBIO welcomes Aon as a new member
Hollandbio, UitgelichtHollandBIO connects and supports the Dutch biotech industry. We currently represent 169 companies in the field of medical, agrifood and industrial biotech. And, HollandBIO is growing steadily. Today, we are proud to announce that Aon Risk Solutions (Aon) joined our community.
Life Sciences companies face numerous and unique challenges as their life cycles evolve. How these risks are mitigated and identified can be the fundamental difference between financial success and business failure. Aon provides Life Sciences companies with end-to-end risk solutions, supporting organisations from the initial discovery phase to final product launch.
Aon addresses your risk management and insurances needs. Aon provides:
Join Aon become a proud HollandBIO member, too! Click here for more information about the HollandBIO membership.
WACKER Buys Dutch Biotechnology Plant
InnovatieklimaatWacker Chemie AG has acquired a Dutch site for manufacturing biopharmaceuticals, live microbial products and vaccines, plus the associated business, from SynCo Bio Luxembourg S.à.r.l.. The Munich-based chemical company announced the acquisition today. For WACKER, maintaining SynCo’s existing customer relationships is a top priority. Moreover, WACKER is keeping on SynCo’s employees. Both parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
“This strategic acquisition is a key step for our ongoing expansion in the high-growth biopharmaceuticals market,” explained Auguste Willems of WACKER’s Executive Board. “The new plant will enable us to satisfy robust market demand today and in the coming years – and to strengthen our position as a leading contract manufacturer of microbial-derived biopharmaceutical proteins.”
Founded in 2000, SynCo Bio Partners has some 110 employees and operates two fermentation lines with current capacities of 1,500 and 270 liters. These lines manufacture microbial-derived biopharmaceuticals, not only for clinical testing, but also for the commercial market. There is a further line of single-use fermenters, which provides additional and flexible production capabilities. SynCo’s service offering is rounded out with a “fill and finish” facility, which enables the complete manufacture of pharmaceuticals from the active agent to the filled product. The facilities meet “Good Manufacturing Practice” (GMP) quality standards, and they have already been inspected by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and approved for the manufacture of specific pharmaceutical proteins.
“Expanding our production capacity strengthens our market position sustainably,” said Gerhard Schmid, president of WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS. “The additional fermentation lines double our current capacity, which increases our ability to produce key pharmaceuticals cost effectively, using advanced microbial techniques. We look forward to continuing the comprehensive support for SynCo’s existing customers, while also offering them the proprietary technologies of Wacker Biotech. The acquisition will significantly expand our portfolio of technologies and services.”
SynCo’s expertise in manufacturing live microbial biopharmaceuticals is a valuable complement to WACKER’s know-how as a full-service supplier. Live microbial products represent a promising new class of actives, offering innovative therapies for serious illnesses and new vaccines against cholera, for example.
Bron: B3C Newswire
Genetisch gemodificeerd voedsel en kweekvlees? Ja graag!
Hollandbio, Voedsel en materialen, UitgelichtWie wil er in de toekomst kweekvlees eten? En wie genetisch gemodificeerde aardappelen? Het publiek van de afgelopen KennisLink avond stemde unaniem JA.
Nemo KennisLink Live organiseerde vorige week dinsdag een zeer succesvolle discussieavond met als thema: Controle over ons voedsel. Centraal stond de vraag hoe ‘natuurlijk’ ons voedsel momenteel eigenlijk nog is en hoe ‘natuurlijk’ we het in de toekomst willen hebben. Na de informatieve én interactieve sessie met Floris van den Berg, Bert Lotz en Ira van Eelen, was iedereen het eens: het in vitro kweken van vlees en genetische modificatie zijn goede ontwikkelingen. Mits de toepassing goed en duidelijk is. Mooie bijval voor HollandBIO’s programma technologie voor een betere toekomst!
Alles voor duurzaamheid
Floris van den Berg is milieufilosoof aan de Universiteit Utrecht. Hij pleitte deze avond voor een veganistische levensstijl, omdat in zijn opinie de huidige vee industrie voor dierenleed en milieu schade zorgt. Ook riep hij op tot een ‘permacultuur’, een manier van leven waarbij werk, landbouw en energieopwekking dicht bij huis plaatsvinden. Nieuwe technologieën die bijdragen aan een duurzamer milieu verwelkomt Floris van harte: “Liever gentech-eten dan dierlijk eten.”
Super aardappelen
Bert Lotz van de Universiteit Wageningen ontwikkelt aardappelen die resistent zijn tegen de gevreesde aardappelschimmel Phytophthora infestans. Hij gebruikt daarbij moderne veredelingsmethoden om het veredelingsproces te versnellen. Zo is het mogelijk om met cisgenese genen die voor resistentie zorgen direct over te zetten in de huidige gangbare aardappelrassen. Met een methode als CRISPR kan het echter nog sneller. Met CRISPR zijn de resistentiegenen, die vaak wel aanwezig zijn maar ‘uit’ staan, weer aan te zetten. Helaas is er in Europa veel onduidelijkheid over de regulering van deze belangrijke veredelingstechnieken. En dat is zonde, voor consument én milieu. Om Phytophthora infestans te voorkomen zijn flinke hoeveelheden bestrijdingsmiddelen nodig. En de schimmel is nog uiterst besmettelijk ook. Biologische boeren moeten hun akkers onmiddellijk afbranden zodra de schimmel er wordt aangetroffen. Niet bepaald duurzaam! De resistente aardappelen van Bert bieden dus een welkom alternatief.
Just (m)eat
Ira van Eelen vertelde deze avond dat het nu mogelijk is om vlees te kweken met een biopt ter grootte van een sesamzaadje. Ze droomt van een toekomst met restaurants waar je vlees kunt eten van het dier dat in de tuin vrolijk graast en van glazen fabrieken in de stad waar je kunt zien hoe je vlees groeit. Ira pleit ervoor dat de consument moet kunnen kiezen of ze vegetarisch, vlees van de slagerij, of kweekvlees willen eten.
Technologie voor een betere toekomst
HollandBIO voelt zich als een vis in het water bij deze positieve kijk op de toepassing van biotechnologie. Elke dag zetten wij ons in om technologische ontwikkelingen de ruimte te geven, zodat ze maximaal bij kunnen dragen aan een duurzame en gezonde toekomst. En dat gaat niet zomaar: wet- en regelgeving heeft moeite technologische ontwikkelingen bij te benen. De Nederlandse overheid werkt op dit moment aan de modernisering van het biotech beleid. Een uitgelezen moment om een integrale visie op duurzaamheid en gezondheid in te bedden in het biotech beleid. Naast die visie pleit HollandBIO voor balans tussen risico’s en kansen door implementatie van het innovatieprincipe en een best-of-class uitvoering.
Meer weten?
Lees ook het verslag van Nemo KennisLink of luister de radio opname.
Op 27 mei zendt Tegenlicht een documentaire uit over kweekvlees, waarin opnames van deze avond aan bod zullen komen.
Engineering a plastic-eating enzyme
Voedsel en materialenScientists have engineered an enzyme which can digest some of our most commonly polluting plastics, providing a potential solution to one of the world’s biggest environmental problems.
The discovery could result in a recycling solution for millions of tonnes of plastic bottles, made of polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, which currently persists for hundreds of years in the environment.
The research was led by teams at the University of Portsmouth and the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Professor John McGeehan at the University of Portsmouth and Dr Gregg Beckham at NREL solved the crystal structure of PETase—a recently discovered enzyme that digests PET— and used this 3D information to understand how it works. During this study, they inadvertently engineered an enzyme that is even better at degrading the plastic than the one that evolved in nature.
The researchers are now working on improving the enzyme further to allow it to be used industrially to break down plastics in a fraction of the time.
Professor McGeehan, Director of the Institute of Biological and Biomedical Sciences in the School of Biological Sciences at Portsmouth, said: “Few could have predicted that since plastics became popular in the 1960s huge plastic waste patches would be found floating in oceans, or washed up on once pristine beaches all over the world.
“We can all play a significant part in dealing with the plastic problem, but the scientific community who ultimately created these ‘wonder-materials’, must now use all the technology at their disposal to develop real solutions.”
The researchers made the breakthrough when they were examining the structure of a natural enzyme which is thought to have evolved in a waste recycling centre in Japan, allowing a bacterium to degrade plastic as a food source.
PET, patented as a plastic in the 1940s, has not existed in nature for very long, so the team set out to determine how the enzyme evolved and if it might be possible to improve it.
The goal was to determine its structure, but they ended up going a step further and accidentally engineered an enzyme which was even better at breaking down PET plastics.
“Serendipity often plays a significant role in fundamental scientific research and our discovery here is no exception,” Professor McGeehan said.
“Although the improvement is modest, this unanticipated discovery suggests that there is room to further improve these enzymes, moving us closer to a recycling solution for the ever-growing mountain of discarded plastics.”
Bron: UoP News
Big Data, Big Produce
Voedsel en materialenIn the last few decades, with the introduction of GMOs, the agricultural industry was turned upside down. Major consolidations between companies took place, while sustainability and big data have become ever more important. BioVox had a conversation on the most important trends within the agri-biotech sector with Johan Cardoen, Managing Director of VIB, and with Arjen Van Tunen, CEO of the leading Dutch agri-biotech company Keygene.
Keeping up with the US and China
Arjen Van Tunen: “In the last years, major consolidations took place such as the potential acquisition of Monsanto by Bayer, the acquisition of Syngenta by Chinachem and the merger of Dow and Dupont. These developments have large geopolitical consequences in EU, USA and particularly also China.“
Johan Cardoen: “The far-reaching consolidations had a huge impact on the agri-biotech sector, but will create new opportunities. The few companies that are left are continuously looking for innovation that will allow them to differentiate from their competitors. This will give a push to startup biotech companies, but also to companies such as Keygene and research centers such as VIB. I haven’t experienced that companies are less willing to invest in agricultural innovations”
Arjen Van Tunen: “We do have to try to foster innovations that were developed in our countries here within local companies. We need to make the investing climate in Europe as attractive as that of the US. That’s important if we want to be able to compete with huge regions such as the US and China. Europe has great scientific facilities, but we should leverage these. We have to cherish talent. Not only scientific talent, but also entrepreneurial talent by supporting it with sufficient financial investments. That’s how Europe can continue to make a difference.”
Genome editing techniques remain top of the bill
Arjen Van Tunen: “As genome editing techniques are becoming cheaper and easier to use, they are now not only applied to major crops such as maize and soy, but also become available to genetically improve wheat, potato, cassava and other smaller crops. It will be a huge challenge to feed the ever increasing global population within the next 20 years, on top of producing other raw materials we need from agriculture, while facing climate change. To fulfill this need, we have to leverage the potential of genome editing techniques. However, the regulations in Europe concerning genome edited plants and GMOs might become or are already a pitfall.”
Johan Cardoen: “It seems that the introduction of GMOs in Europe is a lost fight. However, we see some positive evolutions concerning the evaluation of genome edited plants, resulting in crops with mutations that can be exempted from the GMO regulation. So there is hope. Europe has to learn from the past and use its common sense to make the right decisions. If Europe misses the boat on this one, the impact for agriculture could be devastating.”
Big data is indispensible
Johan Cardoen: “Next to genome editing techniques, the use of big data and the Internet Of Things are very important trends that are introduced into agriculture. The way a farmer uses data to increase their yield and adjust to climatological conditions will only intensify in the future.”
Arjen Van Tunen: “For example, in the supermarkets of Albert Heijn, every day before 11am, the stores know exactly the amount of vegetables and fruit that have been consumed. This data is sent to the suppliers, who can adapt the supply of fruits and vegetables they bring to the stores. You can analyze all this data, and forecast how much fruit and vegetable produce will be needed on a certain day. Growers can control the produced amounts by adapting the temperature or the amount of light in the greenhouse.”
Johan Cardoen: “Big data coupled to the Internet Of Things will allow for profound optimization of precision agriculture, fine-tuned to the consumer’s needs.”
Sustainable agriculture influences consumer behavior
Johan Cardoen: “Another import trend within agriculture is the increasing focus on sustainability. Chemical crop protection agents are become less popular, as supermarkets and consumers are paying much more attention to the minimum residue levels on crops. Therefore a new range of less aggressive crop protection agents is being developed, for example affecting the microbiome of a crop. Consumers also tend to buy more seasonal and locally grown vegetables and fruits. This also influences the market.”
Arjen Van Tunen: “The integrated results obtained by processing big data and consumer behavior cannot only be used by farmers, but also by academia and companies to make new innovative crops, tailored to the needs of consumers. So it is also the consumer and perhaps even the patient who can benefit from better and healthier crops.”
Bron: Biovox